While Frodo and Samwise's loyalty to one another stands out in The Lord of the Rings, the relationship between Merry and Pippin is just as strong. These two mischievous Hobbits begin the story together and end it together, as they stand side by side as much as they possibly can. But where did this friendship come from, and how are they related?

Whenever author J.R.R. Tolkien created a character, it often meant a vast backstory and lore would come with them. So, when forming the structure of the Shire, entire family trees for Hobbits were planned out, showing that many of the key characters in the story were related in one way or another. And this tight-knit community meant that Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin were all good friends long before the events of The Lord of the Rings.

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Pippin's Family Was Important to Lord of the Rings' Shire

Lord of the Rings Pippin Smoking

Pippin was born in 2990 of the Third Age, with the full name of Peregrin Took. He was the youngest member of his family, with his siblings being Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca Took. Pippin's mother was named Eglantine Banks, while his father was Paladin II Took, an important figure in Hobbiton. The Took family were Thain's of the Shire -- a title given to the Military leaders in the area and would later pass down to Pippin after his adventures in The Lord of the Rings.

While Pippin was considerably younger and shorter than the rest of the Fellowship, that didn't stop him from becoming best friends with Merry during his upbringing. With Merry being the son of Paladin's sister, Merry was Pippin's first cousin on his father's side. And that's incredibly close, considering Hobbit cousins often span well into the double digits.

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Merry Was the Smartest Hobbit in Lord of the Rings

Merry looks in amazement at one of Gandalf's fireworks

Born in 2982 of the Third Age, Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck was an only child of the Brandybuck family. His father was Saradoc Brandybuck, a Master of Buckland who held authority over the Hobbit colony of Buckland -- a responsibility he later took after returning to the Shire. Merry's mother was Esmeralda Took, the sister of Pippin's father, Paladin, meaning she was Pippin's aunt.

Merry was said to be the most intelligent of the Fellowship's Hobbits, with him being the only one who knew stories about the One Ring before the adventure even began. Because of the closeness of the family, Merry spent much of his time with Pippin despite their eight-year age difference, and the Hobbits became known for their trickery and carelessness all over the Shire. By the time of The Lord of the Rings, Merry and Pippin have the closest relationship in friendship and blood relation. Although through their expansive family tree, Frodo was also a distant cousin of the Took family, meaning Samwise was the only Hobbit with no family connection to the rest. Not that it mattered, as the Hobbits ended their adventure as a family through the Fellowship.